Mama Tangerine and Papa Leaf
by mandarina
Summary: She hums again as she takes us downstairs. I close my eyes and allow myself to sleep a little before I must go. I love my mama so much…


**Hello there! I'm back with a new one-shot while my thesis gets all my free time...so, I won't be able to update Closest to you at least until the end of August. But, the next few chapters are planned already. That's a step forward, isn't it? :)**  
**In the meanwhile, enjoy!**

I do not own One Piece, because it belongs to our beloved Oda-sama!

* * *

I don't remember what I was before… I've always been here since I can recall, with all my brothers and sisters, able to feel the sea breeze and the scorching sun and the falling rain, happy and lazy and carefree.  
Mama comes visit often, I love her so much. She takes care of me and my siblings like no one else can. I love how she looks at us with a huge smile on her face and humming a nice tune. Physically, we all look like her a lot, though she's so beautiful no one can compare.  
Our grumpy, sleepy papa calls her Nami when we're all together. In front of others, he usually uses a nickname. He said it's about intimacy or something like that… I don't get it, but mama loves it, especially when papa sleeps with us and she comes waking us up. She says that when papa wakes up he's always tender with her.  
Today she's in a good mood, I think as she cuts our hair, caressing our cheeks once in a while. There's no one like our mama, not even aunty Robin. We always play around with her sons though, they're nice. Aunty always gives them lots of water to drink because they're always thirsty.  
Papa came play with us. He's funny, he always make weird faces when mama teases him and his face becomes so red! I tried to do that too but I could never get blush like he does…I must have taken from mama…  
I forgot to say that my papa's name is Zoro. It must be important because mama says pretty much the whole world knows his name, I don't know why…I like to think my papa is a hero, he always has three swords on his side and his body is full of scars. My brothers agree with me and we often imagine how he would fight when we play battle. At papa's side there's always Uncle Rufy, with his big smile, while he helps our daddy.  
We like Uncle Rufy, but he likes weird games. Sometimes, when mama isn't looking, he tries to grab us and…well, I don't know what he wants to do next. Mama always catches him and beats him. After that, he always talks funny for a day or two.  
There's another game we like to play and that's picking nicknames, but that's a difficult game. We only managed to find two until now, those for mama and papa. We call them "mama tangerine" and "papa leaf", but we don't plan to let them know. It's our secret. Mama and papa already have their own nicknames and they're not so cute…I've never seen a witch or a caveman, anyway, so it's not like I actually know…some of my brothers may know though, because they're older than me.  
Usually, when we reach a certain age, mama decides we have to leave and live our own life and papa silently agrees. Mama says he couldn't know such things to save his life, but I bet that, deep in his heart, he knows too. Sometimes I think about my brothers who left to find adventures and I miss them…none of them has returned yet and we haven't heard a single thing about them, but mama and papa don't worry too much.  
I'm happy today, mama talked about a fruit cake. It's the first time I'm eating one and Uncle Rufy always wants one so it must be good to eat. I smile as mama caresses me one more time. Then she picks me up and does the same with some of the others. Mama, is it time? Am I old enough to go? But I don't want to leave you, not yet…I will miss you too much…  
Mama smiles sweetly and I feel reassured. I will come back often and always bring a gift to her and then I'll give her tons of kisses on her cheeks.  
She hums again as she takes us downstairs. I close my eyes and allow myself to sleep a little before I must go. I love my mama so much…

* * *

Nami suddenly stopped and looked at the basket of tangerines she just picked for Sanji to make the fruit cake. She thought she had heard…no, it must be her imagination. It must be the heat's fault, tangerines couldn't talk, right? Right?! And even if they could, they would say something like "Please, don't eat me!" and not "I love you, mama".  
She felt sad for the rest of the day, though, and when they finally ate the cake she couldn't hold the sight…without even touching her slice, she excused herself out of the kitchen. In her bedroom, alone, she started crying. Zoro opened the door, sat on the mattress next to her and hugged her. She did nothing wrong…then, why did she feel like a murderer?


End file.
